Practicing place: Collective experience and difference in an urban online forum

Despite predictions to the contrary, place has assumed a new significance through recent innovations in digital technology. In this paper, we argue that the exchange of information and experience occurring daily on the networked urban forum Phillyblog can be usefully conceptualized as the practice of place. In adopting this terminology, we suggest particular analytic and theoretical lines which hold important implications for the way we think about information and place in online settings. Within the context of Phillyblog, the practice of place (1) publicizes and reinforces collective experiences of the city and (2) plays an active role in constructing the distinctness and diversity of its neighborhoods. In analyzing their regular interactions on Phillyblog, we hope to add to research on information practice, in particular “everyday information practices” (Savolainen, 2008 ), by suggesting their role in the social construction of place. Using this particular case, we explore how information sharing and production, in particular, may play a role in the perception, conception, and experience of place.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78319/1/1450460264_ftp.pd

Occupational Therapy’s Psychosocial Role for Young Children Transitioning out of Foster Care

Background: Unmet needs for children in the foster care system lead to hardships with social participation, healthy relationships, and occupational engagement. Despite an understanding of these needs, there is minimal research on occupational therapy’s role for young children transitioning from foster care back to their biological parents. Method: A single case report was completed via occupational-based interventions focused on psychosocial development, such as emotional regulation and appropriate social skills. All nine interventions were intended to be provided via 45-min individual treatment sessions followed by biological parent coaching for 15 min with strategies such as role-playing, sensory techniques, and trauma-informed care. Emotional regulation and appropriate social skills were tracked through Goal Attainment Scaling, the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, the Developmental Assessment of Young Children- Second Edition, and a parent interview. Results: All assessments provided significant results in the improvement of child engagement in social participation, education, and play. The parent interview demonstrated increased biological parent knowledge and decreased stress. Conclusion: Overall, the child’s occupational engagement and biological parent’s satisfaction enhanced their skill sets to improve their quality of life, occupational participation, and relationship quality. Through a coaching strategy, the biological parent gained confidence to take on social-emotional challenges during the child’s transitional phase

Geologic hazard analysis of suburban development on alluvial deposits in the Basin and Range province

Online access for this thesis was created in part with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). To obtain a high quality image or document please contact the DeLaMare Library at https://unr.libanswers.com/ or call: 775-784-6945.Throughout the basin and range province many areas have been or are being developed for residential dwellings and public buildings. These areas of concern are the alluvial deposition on or adjacent to the major basin and range faults which border nearly every mountain range from the Sierra Nevada to the Wasatch Range. These areas represent zones of multiple geologic hazard risk including earthquake, subsidence, liquefaction, flashflood, landslide and rockfall. In western Nevada the Galena Terrace Estates subdivision is examined in detail. An apparent lack of understanding and concern exists in the realm of the developer, the builder and the land owner/resident. Additionally, the sate laws, such as those enacted in the neighboring state of California for public protection, are lacking in Nevada. The study undertakes to identify, illustrate, and to analize the hazards present and to expose the need for laws which would govern development of residential and public structures in such hazard areas solely for the purpose of the mitigation of the consequences of a potential disaster and public protection

Users' perceptions of interprofessional collaborative care during their cancer journeys'.

Purpose: The study aimed to construct narratives of journeys that cancer patients and their families experience and to investigate participants' perceptions of related interagency collaboration spanning any engagements with the National Health Service (NHS); social services; local authority; voluntary; private and independent sectors. Methods: Using a qualitative design and focus groups the key facets of integrated care were explored with clients from a charity that focussed on cancer care. The 'talking wall' approach was adapted for use in the focus groups. Framework analysis was used to extrapolate the key themes. Results: Focus groups with 44 volunteers were conducted. Data included visual representations; textual comments and researcher reflections. The findings highlighted that the care received by many of the volunteers was variable with reports of very satisfactory experiences and also poor experiences. Respondents expected collaborative care and only in its absence was there cognisance of its importance in streamlining services for their care journeys. The role for the voluntary and independent sectors was significant. Conclusions and Implications for cancer survivors: Effective interprofessional collaboration was perceived to ease the pain of the cancer journey. The different yet interlocking interventions and support from statutory and voluntary agencies is clearly a holistic approach that is appreciated by the patient. Care management for cancer patients is complex in its nature necessitating professionals to work across organisational boundaries and achieve the best outcomes for long term care management. When professionals do not do this effectively cancer survivors and their carers are often left to 'join up' the services themselves and there is greater reliance on voluntary organisations

Age-related mitochondrial DNA depletion and the impact on pancreatic beta cell function

Type 2 diabetes is characterised by an age-related decline in insulin secretion. We previously identified a 50% age-related decline in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in isolated human islets. The purpose of this study was to mimic this degree of mtDNA depletion in MIN6 cells to determine whether there is a direct impact on insulin secretion. Transcriptional silencing of mitochondrial transcription factor A, TFAM, decreased mtDNA levels by 40% in MIN6 cells. This level of mtDNA depletion significantly decreased mtDNA gene transcription and translation, resulting in reduced mitochondrial respiratory capacity and ATP production. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was impaired following partial mtDNA depletion, but was normalised following treatment with glibenclamide. This confirms that the deficit in the insulin secretory pathway precedes K+ channel closure, indicating that the impact of mtDNA depletion is at the level of mitochondrial respiration. In conclusion, partial mtDNA depletion to a degree comparable to that seen in aged human islets impaired mitochondrial function and directly decreased insulin secretion. Using our model of partial mtDNA depletion following targeted gene silencing of TFAM, we have managed to mimic the degree of mtDNA depletion observed in aged human islets, and have shown how this correlates with impaired insulin secretion. We therefore predict that the age-related mtDNA depletion in human islets is not simply a biomarker of the aging process, but will contribute to the age-related risk of type 2 diabetes

Micron-sized biogenic and synthetic hollow mineral spheres occlude additives within single crystals

Incorporating additives within host single crystals is an effective strategy for producing composite materials with tunable mechanical, magnetic and optical properties. The type of guest materials that can be occluded can be limited, however, as incorporation is a complex process depending on many factors including binding of the additive to the crystal surface, the rate of crystal growth and the stability of the additives in the crystallisation solution. In particular, the size of occluded guests has been restricted to a few angstroms – as for single molecules – to a few hundred nanometers – as for polymer vesicles and particles. Here, we present a synthetic approach for occluding micrometer-scale objects, including high-complexity unicellular organisms and synthetic hollow calcite spheres within calcite single crystals. Both of these objects can transport functional additives, including organic molecules and nanoparticles that would not otherwise occlude within calcite. Therefore, this method constitutes a generic approach using calcite as a delivery system for active compounds, while providing them with effective protection against environmental factors that could cause degradation

Improvement of Odin/SMR water vapour and temperature measurements and validation of the obtained data sets

Its long photochemical lifetime makes H2O a good tracer for mesospheric dynamics. Temperature observations are also critical to study middle atmospheric dynamics. In this study, we present the reprocessing of 18 years of mesospheric H2O and temperature measurements from the Sub-Millimetre Radiometer (SMR) aboard the Odin satellite, resulting in a part of the SMR version 3.0 level 2 data set. The previous version of the data set showed poor accordance with measurements from other instruments, which suggested that the retrieved concentrations and temperature were subject to instrumental artefacts. Different hypotheses have been explored, and the idea of an underestimation of the singlesideband leakage turned out to be the most reasonable one. The value of the lowest transmission achievable has therefore been raised to account for greater sideband leakage, and new retrievals have been performed with the new settings. The retrieved profiles extend between 40-100 km altitude and cover the whole globe to reach 85\ub0 latitudes. A validation study has been carried out, revealing an overall better accordance with the compared instruments. In particular, relative differences in H2O mixing ratio are always in the \ub120% range between 40 and 70 km and diverge at higher altitudes, while temperature absolute differences are within \ub15K between 40-80 km and also diverge at higher altitudes